Charlotte, situated in North Carolina’s Piedmont region, is the county seat of Mecklenburg County and the state’s most populous city. With a population of 874,579 in 2020, Charlotte is the 16th-most populous city in the US, the 7th most populous city in the South, and the second most populous city in the Southeast after Jacksonville, Florida. Charlotte serves as the hub for cultural, economic, and transportation activities in the Charlotte metropolitan area, which had a 2020 population of 2,660,329, and is part of a sixteen-county market region with a 2020 census-estimated population of 2,846,550.
Between 2004 and 2014, Charlotte experienced a significant increase in population, with 888,000 new residents. Additionally, according to US census data from 2005 to 2015, Charlotte leads the nation in millennial population growth and is currently the third-fastest-growing major city in the US. Charlotte’s residents are referred to as “Charlotteans,” and the city is home to numerous major corporations, including Bank of America, Truist Financial, and Wells Fargo, which make it the second-largest banking center in the US.
Charlotte offers a diverse range of notable attractions, such as the Carolina Panthers (NFL), the Charlotte Hornets (NBA), Charlotte FC (MLS), the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and several museums and parks, including the Mint Museum, Harvey B. Gantt Center, and the US National Whitewater Center. Additionally, Charlotte has a humid subtropical climate and is located near several man-made lakes, including Lake Norman, which is the largest man-made lake in North Carolina.